Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Nicole

  • REVIEW: ‘The Last Possession’

    REVIEW: ‘The Last Possession’

    Every now and then, there manages to be that one indie horror film that surprises. The Last Possession appears to be just that; on the surface, it seems like the everyday horror, one that relies on sounds and quick glances to scare. And sure, that is true to an extent, it still manages to produce an impressive ending that is impressively terrifying. However, The Last Possession takes unexpected risks that craft an interesting horror story.

    When The Last Possession begins, we meet a young family that is in the midst of moving. The two parents and their children are unpacking their boxes and moving into the house left to the husband following his father’s death. It’s the pretty standard opening for a horror flick, especially a B-horror title such as this one. There’s an uncertainty among the four family members, with the son questioning why he was left the house and the kids trying to make the new place feel like home.

    The film stars Stephen Brodie as Kent, Cassie Shea Watson as his wife Stephanie and Sawyer Bell and Lourelle Jensen as their children, Jack and Gabby. The foursome are relative newbies, all with minor credits to their names, for the most part. While all manage to successfully capture the sense of a family on edge and questioning the unknown, the kids manage to be the standouts — especially Bell’s Jack.

    As for the cinematography and soundtrack, both are admittedly a bit underwhelming, but they do serve their purpose in crafting the environment. It’s just that neither are memorable once the credits roll, which is a bit unfortunate. Especially as the final scene in the movie allowed for some great moments on both.

    Director Dan Riddle does a good job helping to bring life to Greg Shouse‘s screenplay. This marks the first full-length feature for both, and it’s clear if given the chance, both parties can craft something magical. One can only hope Hollywood gives them more chances to tell their stories.

    The Last Possession is a thrilling little horror movie that is sure to leave viewers on the edge of their seats.

  • Mia Katigbak & Rory O’Malley Join ABC’s ‘Josep’ From Jo Koy

    Mia Katigbak & Rory O’Malley Join ABC’s ‘Josep’ From Jo Koy

    ABC is ramping up the casting for its Jo Koy pilot, Josep.

    Per Deadline, Mia Katigbak and Rory O’Malley have joined the cast of ABC’s Josep. They’ll star alongside Jo Koy, who is also executive producing the project. As it stands, Josep has only received a pilot order, which was officially given the greenlight back January.

    Josep, hailing from 20th Television, will provide a fictionalized take on the comedian’s real life. It’ll follow him as a recently divorced Filipino American nurse as he attempts to navigate dating and fatherhood, while also dealing with a “very Filipino mother” who goes out of her way to help. Katigbak will play the mother, Lorna, who is described as a little Filipino force of nature. While O’Malley will play Seth, an earnest guy married to Jo’s sister, Gemmalyn.

    Koy will executive produce the series alongside Steve Joe (Doogie Kamealoha M.D.). Also serving as producers are Randall Park and Michael Golamco, who are also said to be writing for the half-hour comedy.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Nico Greetham Joins Final Season of Hulu’s ‘Love, Victor’

    Nico Greetham Joins Final Season of Hulu’s ‘Love, Victor’

    Nico Greetham is joining the cast of Hulu’s Love, Victor.

    The news comes courtesy of Deadline, with the outlet reporting Greetham is joining in a recurring role. He will be playing a character named Nick, a new friend Victor (Michael Cimino) meets at church.

    The Hulu series Love, Victor is a companion series to the film Love, Simon. That film starred Nick Robinson as the titular Simon, a high school student trying to be comfortable with himself – and not hiding who he is for the sake of others. The Hulu series, Love, Victor, is much the same, this time turning its focus on Victor Salazar. Having just moved from rural Texas to Atlanta, Victor is just trying to fit in at Creekwood High. However, Victor is still trying to find out who he is, and that includes trying to comprehend his sexuality, which is a difficult task in a super religious family. Luckily, Simon is on hand to help Victor learn to accept his authentic self and that he is worthy of love.

    Greetham is perhaps best known for his role as the Yellow Ranger/Calvin on Nickelodeon’s Power Rangers Ninja Steel, however, he has also appeared in American Horror Stories and American Horror Story: Double Feature for FX

    Source: Deadline.

  • ‘The Santa Clause’ Series on Disney+ Adds Kal Penn

    ‘The Santa Clause’ Series on Disney+ Adds Kal Penn

    Kal Penn is the latest actor to board The Santa Clause limited series for Disney Plus.

    The news comes courtesy of Deadline, with the outlet reporting Penn has joined the series in a leading role. Per the outlet, Penn’s character will be a leading character opposite Tim Allen‘s Scott Calvin. Penn plays the role of Simon Choksi, an ambitious game inventor and product developer and a devoted single father. The character is said to be able to talk the talk as a tech-mogul, but is unable to back up his talk, impacting his dreams of becoming the next Jeff Bezos. Choksi’s life will change, however, after a visit to the North Pole.

    The Santa Clause limited series will see Allen’s Santa prepare to turn over the title ahead of his 65th birthday. While the report doesn’t specify as much, it seems likely Penn’s character will be the new Santa Clause.

    Scott Calvin is on the brink of his 65th birthday and realizing that he can’t be Santa forever. He’s starting to lose a step in his Santa duties, and more importantly, he’s got a family who could benefit from a life in the normal world, especially his two kids who have grown up at the Pole. With a lot of elves, children, and family to please, Scott sets out to find a suitable replacement Santa while preparing his family for a new adventure in a life south of the pole.

    Penn joins the previously announced Allen, and Elizabeth Mitchell, who reprises her role as Mrs. Clause from the second and third films. While yet confirmed, the series is expected to be called The Clauses according to a report from The DisInsider.

    The limited series is from Last Man Standing creator Jack Burditt..

    Source: Deadline.

  • New Phoebe Waller-Bridge Series Heading to Prime Video

    New Phoebe Waller-Bridge Series Heading to Prime Video

    Phoebe Waller-Bridge is returning to Prime Video with a brand new series.

    This makes for the long-awaited follow-up to the hit series, Fleabag, which Waller-Bridge both starred in and created. Details regarding the new project are sparse, however, Deadline reports production is expected to begin by the end of the year. This new series marks the first project Waller-Bridge has created under her three-year overall deal with Amazon Studios. That deal was originally announced in September 2019, around the time of Fleabag‘s second and final season.

    Waller-Bridge was originally set to work on a Mr. and Mrs. Smith television series reboot, in which she would’ve starred alongside Donald Glover. However, the every-busy Waller-Bridge ultimately exited the project. Since the last season of Fleabag, Waller-Bridge has kept busy having executive produced the HBO series, Run, while also helping to co-wrote the most recent James Bond movie, No Time to Die.

    She can next be seen in the latest Indiana Jones installment which wrapped production earlier this week.

    Source: Deadline.

  • Jack Harlow To Star in ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ Reboot

    Jack Harlow To Star in ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ Reboot

    20th Century is looking to reboot the classic film, White Men Can’t Jump, and it has brought on rapper Jack Harlow for a leading role.

    The news comes courtesy of Deadline, with the outlet reporting Harlow landed the gig from his first-ever film audition. Calmatic is directing from a script by Kenya Barris and Doug Hall. The new film will be a new take on Ron Shelton’s 1992 film of the same name. That film starred Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes as Billy Hoyle and Sidney Deane. Harrelson’s Hoyle was a former college basketball player who made a living by hustling streetplayers, while Snipes’ Deane is a cocky and talented player who has lost to Hoyle twice already. While the duo has their differences, they ultimately come together to work toward a big score.

    Harlow will take over Harrelson’s role, having wowed the filmmakers and executives, particularly Barris, during his first screen audition. With Harlow cast, the film is now being fast-tracked and the search for his co-star is now underway.

    Blake Griffin, Ryan Kalil and Noah Weinstein executive produce through their Mortal Media banner, while Hall and E. Brian Dobbins will also serve as executive producers. A release date has not yet been unveiled.

    Source: Deadline.

  • RUMOR: ’Manifest’ Season 4 to Debut in November

    RUMOR: ’Manifest’ Season 4 to Debut in November

    Production is well underway on the fourth and final season of Manifest. The former NBC series will move to Netflix for its final outing this year. Details regarding the latest season have been sparse, however, we may now know when it will premiere. It seems that famous author Stephen King is quite the fan, as he threw out a question on when we might expect the series to make its return. Showrunner Jeff Rake obliged and shared that he’s hearing November is when Season 4 will release. However, nothing is yet set in stone.

    As the showrunner is unsure about the exact release, there’s always a chance that it might shift as we near its eventual announcement but it does give us an indicator of when we might expect it to release on Netflix. The series originally premiered on NBC back in 2018, which explored the story of passengers of a commercial airliner that suddenly reappear after over five years. After its cancelation, the series grew in popularity after hitting Netflix which led to its renewal. The upcoming fourth season will consist of 20 episodes and see the return of its all-star cast consisting of Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, Athena Karkanis, J.R. Ramirez, and more.

    Source: Twitter

  • REVIEW: Netflix’s ‘The Andy Warhol Diaries’

    REVIEW: Netflix’s ‘The Andy Warhol Diaries’

    Fans of the legendary artist Andy Warhol quickly devoured The Andy Warhol Diaries when the book was first published in 1989. The 840-page paperback features the dictated memoirs of the American artist Andy Warhol that were posthumously published. The book took fans behind the scenes of Warhol’s life, with the last entry taking place just days ahead of his death in 1987. The diaries allow fans to see the world through Warhol’s eyes, from the famous people he spent time with to his life outside of the spotlight. There’s a reason he remains a consistent seller — the publication is a real treat for fans.

    Unfortunately, Netflix’s take on The Andy Warhol Diaries is a bit of a mess. It seems unsure of what it wants to tell and how exactly it wants to tell it. While it is based on the book of the same name, The Andy Warhol Diaries often feels like a story about everyone around him rather than Warhol himself. It seems to forget about Warhol and his legendary artwork, instead choosing to focus on his confidence issues and his unwillingness to comment on his sexuality publicly. With so much to Warhol and the legacy he left behind, it seems an odd thing to focus essentially the entire series on. And sadly, that’s not the strangest decision this documentary makes over the course of six episodes.

    The series uses a computer-generated take on Warhol’s voice to narrate the series. It’s rather off-putting, although it’s safe to presume it’s something Warhol would’ve been entirely fine with. (After all, he had dreams of being a robot.) As it’s an AI voice, it lacks any sense of emotion, coming off as monotone and dull. While I understand this is something the artist would have been behind, judging by what is said in the documentary series, it’s still an odd choice to make in a series that is so reliant on bringing in others to comment on Warhol. Had the series used footage of Warhol while he was alive and then added in the interviews, it would have flowed a lot better. And perhaps, it would have been a lot easier to endure.

    The Andy Warhol Diaries is produced by Ryan Murphy, and it clearly has a Murphy feel to it. When Murphy is at the top of his game, he can deliver some quality television. Sadly, The Andy Warhol Diaries is not among his strongest work. It’s frustrating, really. There are so many reasons as to why this series should’ve been more enjoyable than it was. It seems half-baked. The ideas are good, they’re just poorly executed.

    There is one minor bright spot in the series and that is the fourth episode, where we get to meet some of the other artists Warhol came into contact within New York in the 1980s. This part of the series allows fans to see Warhol appreciating artwork from those who would’ve been ignored otherwise because they didn’t belong to the typical white artist clique. While he might not have understood the artwork, he allows a light to shine on these young artists and their work. It’s a pretty important moment. If only the series was this strong and interesting for its entire run.

    Overall, The Andy Warhol Diaries is frustrating. It wastes its potential by focusing on the least interesting bits of this massive art icon. Warhol did some amazing things in his lifetime, it just seems odd to focus on his love life in a limited series on his life.

  • ‘The Batman’ Eyes $225 Million Global Launch

    ‘The Batman’ Eyes $225 Million Global Launch

    The Caped Crusader is looking to tackle the box office.

    Following the massive success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Warner Bros. and DC’s The Batman seems likely to continue the upward trajectory of the box office. Current projections for the film have The Batman looking to bring in $115 million to $125 million domestically, and another $110 million to $120 million internationally. Should these numbers hold, The Batman could see an international haul of $225 million to $245 million worldwide.

    The Batman carries a $200 million production budget and marks a return to theaters for both Warner Bros. and DC. Its last superhero flicks, Wonder Woman 1984 and The Suicide Squad, were released day-and-date on HBO Max. The film is also off to an impressive start in Korea, where The Batman opened to $1.7 million with previews. That’s enough to make for the best launch day during the pandemic, while also marking the second-best debut for a Batman movie since The Dark Knight Rises. Interestingly enough, it’s also an industry best in the country so far this year.

    The Batman, which is directed by Matt Reeves, stars Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Colin Farrell and Paul Dano. The film was co-written by Reeves & Peter Craig and is in theaters now.

    Source: Deadline.

  • CONFIRMED: Marvel’s Netflix Shows and ‘Agents of SHIELD’ Are Joining Disney+ in March

    CONFIRMED: Marvel’s Netflix Shows and ‘Agents of SHIELD’ Are Joining Disney+ in March

    The moment the various Marvel Netflix shows were leaving the streaming services, the internet was filled to the brim with theories. It seemed like a no-brainer that Disney regained the rights, but most believed it is heading to Hulu given it’s adult-themes. Suddenly, Canada is adding it to Disney+ without the Hulu equivalent Star. Rumors spread that the US will also get access through a new parental control option. After much speculation, Disney Plus has confirmed The Defenders series are joining the streaming service.

    In a short teaser posted to social media this morning, Disney+ confirmed Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, The Defenders, The Punisher and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will debut on the service on March 16th. This aligns with the recent rumors on its addition, as they also reference the new parental controls which will be available on the same day. You can check out the teaser right here:

    What a move by Disney, as the fact they are breaking away from the family-friendly content and including these series so close after they left Netflix is quite a telling move. We might also see more crossovers between Hulu and Disney+ content moving forward, especially when it comers to Marvel Studios wanting to expand beyond the PG-13 rating, such as with Deadpool 3. We might see many more new directions for the service in the near future.

    Source: Twitter